My Father's Eyes, My Mother's Rage

Rose Brik examines the cyclical nature of inherited household dynamics and the specific emotional weight of daughterhood. The poems track the development of a woman who recognizes her father’s physical traits in her reflection while grappling with the repressed anger passed down from her mother. Brik documents the friction between loving one’s parents and recognizing the psychological damage they inflicted. She specifically addresses the process of breaking silent family patterns, dealing with the aftermath of emotional neglect, and the difficult transition into independent adulthood.

Readers who find themselves caught between filial loyalty and the need for personal boundaries will find their private frustrations articulated here. The collection serves those looking for a blunt acknowledgment of how childhood origins dictate adult reactions to conflict and intimacy. By the end, the reader gains a vocabulary for discussing the specific grievances of the female experience within a nuclear family. They walk away with a clearer understanding of how to separate their own identity from the inherited behaviors and unaddressed traumas of previous generations.